8chan/8kun QResearch Posts (1)
#24092169 at 2026-01-08 17:40:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #29357: God bless those who put themselves in harms way to protect us. Edition
>>24092167
Further, he said the two key Intelligence Community agencies responsible for space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) - the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) that operates American spy satellites and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) that provides analyses based on space-based ISR data - also no doubt had a hand in ensuring Operation Absolute Resolve's success.
"The NRO and NGA likely played a major role in surveilling and mapping the compound Maduro was captured in (especially since SOF [Special Operations Forces] were training on a mockup of this compound in Kentucky), and NGA would have helped develop detailed maps of the area SOF could use to plan their routes and backup routes," Harrison said.
"Signal Intelligence satellites also likely played an important role in mapping the air defense radars and communications systems Venezuela used to defend the area so that our aircraft could effectively knock these systems offline before they could pose a threat," he added.
CYBERCOM's Role
During the Jan. 3 press conference, Caine also indicated that non-kinetic effects were used by CYBERCOM to suppress Venezuelan defenses, with Trump further mentioning that "the lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have. It was dark, and it was deadly."
CYBERCOM deferred to the Defense Department for comment related to the command's role in Operation Absolute Resolve, and the Defense Department told Breaking Defense in an email that it had "nothing to provide due to operational security."
When Breaking Defense asked the White House for comment, a spokesperson deferred to Caine's comments in his Saturday address.
Though neither Caine or Trump elaborated on what exactly turning the lights out meant, some experts speculated that the command was able to deploy tactics affecting the Venezuelan capital's power grid, including cutting off internet access.
"Well, it was dark because it was night, but apparently it was also dark because it seemed CYBERCOM turned off all the lights. This is the way that modern wars are fought, especially if you're in the United States, and we operate very well in darkness," Emily Harding, vice president of the defense and security department at the Center of Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said during a virtual event Jan. 5.
Anthony Vinci, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and former NGA chief technology officer for capabilities, told Breaking Defense Tuesday that he agreed that CYBERCOM could have used offensive tactics to shut down the power grid in Caracaras.
However, he also speculated that someone on the ground with access to the power grid's controls could have been responsible.
Nonetheless, Vinci said, such tactics will likely continue to be used by the US military in future conflicts.
"Bottom line, I think that infrastructure is now on the table for warfighting," he said.
Further, Trump and Caine's address over the weekend also suggested that electronic warfare tactics may have been used to disrupt Venezuela's air defense systems. As Caine said, "the joint air component began dismantling and disabling the air defense systems."
Lauryn Williams, CSIS deputy director of the strategic technologies program, and Taylar Rajic, an associate fellow there, told Breaking Defense in an email Jan. 5 that Caine's comments "indicate the combined operations led to suppressed air defenses, disrupted communications and internet outages, and GPS jamming all to cripple Venezuela's ability to coordinate any meaningful response."
By using such tactics the US "should also absolutely expect our main cyber adversaries - China, Russia, North Korea, Iran - to learn as much as they can about the United States' use of offensive cyber against Venezuela and apply those learnings domestically," they added.
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